HISPANIC PR WIRE — Aug 7 — AOL Latino and TRUE announced the launch of a new online dating and relationship area called Amor y Amistad (Love and Friendship). For $59.95 a month, users of AOL Latino, the leading bilingual portal for U.S. Hispanics, can make personal connections with TRUE’s more than 17 million members.
The full article was originally published at Hispanic PR Wire, but is no longer available.
TECHNEWSWORLD — August 2 — The U.S. online dating market will reach $932 million in 2011, according to JupiterResearch. More than 20 million Internet users visited such a site last December, reported comScore, with the top destinations being Yahoo! Personals, Match.com, True.com, Spark Networks and Singlesnet.com. But, mainstream dating site memberships are stagnating or, in some cases, shrinking. The proportion of paying customers (5%) has stayed the same over the last five years, according to Jupiter. Furthermore, only 10% of Internet users visited an online dating site in 2006 — a decrease from 16% in 2005 and 21% in 2002. Specialized dating sites, as a result, are increasing in numbers. It is speculated, though, they they too must keep evolving to prevent stagnation. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH NEWS WORLD
OPW — July 12 — TRUE was #1 all year through May, when it moved to #2, now it's #6 for June. TRUE pulled the plug on ad spends and CPA commissions. Word is they're concentrating on their most profitable ad spends and reeling in profits. Singlesnet holds on to its #1 position and Yahoo Personals takes TRUE's #2 position. PlentyofFish moves up again, to the #3 rank. HotorNot moves down one spot to #10. – Mark Brooks
OPW — June 25 — I've been reviewing a number of dating sites recently. I thought it would be interesting to see how many real messages a 28 year old woman in Tampa would get on the various dating sites. The test was run from April 24th to May 22nd, from Tampa, Florida. The subject did not send any outgoing winks or messages during the test. The excel spreadsheet lists the number of winks and messages received from other members. Also listed is a breakout of the messages that were sent as automated messages from the system. Messages that were clearly automated messages were not included in the number for 'Messages From Members.' TRUE and Singlesnet had a high number of automated messages, and a low number of real messages. PlentyofFish had the most real messages initiating contact. Here's screen captures of the profiles that were used – PlentyofFish, Lavalife, TRUE, Singlesnet, Match, LoveAccess, YahooPersonals and Engage. Download dating sites responsiveness test spreadsheet.
QUICK DWF.COM — June 20 — Girl Talk goes pro this week with expertise in online dating. Kerensa Vest, a relationship and profile coach for True.com will guide 'Girl Talk'. Vest met her husband, Herb Vest on a blind date, and the two of them built TRUE (16m members) together in 2003. FULL ARTICLE @ QUICK DWF.COM
ABC NEWS — June 16 — An estimated 40 million Americans use online dating and there are more 1,400+ sites, but some question their safety. Prosecutors say a Philadelphia nursing student was conning women on Match.com. He was convicted this week of assault. Jeffrey Marsalis, 34, pretended to be a doctor, an astronaut and even a spy to lure women. True.com provides background checks. Match gives temporary phone numbers. Intelius.com will conducts dating background checks. FULL ARTICLE @ ABC NEWS
Mark Brooks: The dating industry takes another hit. It's all the dating websites fault! 'Online dating's not safe.' Sigh! Unfortunately, with 40 million people using these sites, statistically speaking, there should be several rapes and a couple of murders every day. Internet dating improves over real world dating. But, the industry can do more. Let's take this into the comments section… Your comments please…
E MARKETER — June 15 — Single dads in the US say that online dating is their preferred method of meeting singles according to a May 2007 True survey. Three-quarters of respondents said that online dating was the easiest way for single parents to meet others. Two-thirds said that online dating was a safer way to date. More than half of single fathers said they went out on dates less than once a month.
The full article was originally published at eMarketer, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: Singles dads and moms have the most need for dating sites. They're ideal customers and are being targeted by dating sites more.
PR NEWSWIRE — June 13 — A lawsuit has been filed against TrueBeginnings, LLC, the owner and operator of the TRUE.com online dating website. The lawsuit seeks certification of a class action on behalf of TRUE customers who were charged service fees by TRUE after cancelling their subscriptions.
Allegedly TRUE bills its former subscribers service fees after they have attempted to cancel their subscriptions over the phone. TRUE charges fees in excess of $50 per month and advertises on its website that memberships can be cancelled at any time. However, only over the phone. The lawsuit also seeks an injunction prohibiting the enforcement of a provision in TRUE's terms granting it a perpetual, world-wide license to use, distribute or display all information – including photographs – submitted by subscribers. Wong v. True Beginnings, LLC, has been filed in the District Court of Dallas County, Texas and the Plaintiff is represented by Tycko & Zavareei LLP and Crews, Shepherd & McCarty LLP. Contact: Jonathan Tycko, 202-973-0900. FULL ARTICLE @ EARTHTIMES
Mark Brooks: Users of internet dating sites should be able to quit a membership within three clicks, or three minutes, if they so decide. I'll be investigating the top dating sites on this point shortly.
OPW — May 28 — These are the conversions for the affiliate programs that Online Personals Watch makes money from. The period is for March 21st 2006 through March 21st 2007. I only list the affiliate programs from which Online Personals Watch generated more than 1000 unique click throughs for. Here are the top converting programs ranked by the earnings per unique. Affiliate links for these sites appear in the left bar in the form of industry rankings, and from links from posts on OPW.
WEB HOST DIRECTORY — May 16 — With a 24% increase versus March, the gay/lesbian community sites ranked as the top-gaining category overall for the month, led by Planetout.com with 767,000 visitors (up 17%), Adam4Adam.com with 348,000 visitors, and BigMuscle.com with 238,000 visitors (up 92%). Women’s sites enjoyed a 7% increase in April, led by iVillage.com (17 million visitors, up 9%). Personals sites gained in April (up 5% versus March), led by True.com with 4.9 million visitors (up 10%), Yahoo! Personals with 4.8 million visitors (up 14%), and Singlesnet.com with 3.9 million visitors (up 23%). FULL ARTICLE @ WEB HOST DIRECTORY
